Intellectual property
Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions; literary and artistic works; and symbols, names and images used in commerce. Intellectual property is divided into two categories:
- Industrial Property includes patents for inventions, trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications.
- Copyright covers literary works (such as novels, poems and plays), films, music, artistic works (e.g., drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures) and architectural design. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and broadcasters in their radio and television programs.
Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time.
Registration of Intellectual Property Rights
To enforce the ownership and right to use intellectual property, the business owner/ creator/ inventor must register it at the Patent and Trademarks Office or the Copyright Office, depending on the type of property one wishes to protect.
These rights in India, pertaining to trademarks and patents are controlled by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, and Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Copyrights are handled by the Copyright Office, Copyright Societies and the Government of India. Applications must be made to the concerned authorities, based on the type of intellectual property right required to be registered, in the prescribed form.